EU Extends Russia Sanctions but Delists Two Oligarchs

The European Union is set to remove Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov and Russian-Israeli businessman Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list, according to reports, prompting criticism from Ukrainian officials. The sanctions were imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. France supported removing Usmanov, citing “national security concerns,” while Luxembourg sought Fridman’s removal as he pursues legal action over frozen assets. Latvia initially opposed the change, but agreed to abstain after a compromise. Under the deal, sanctions on nearly 2,600 other people and entities will be extended for three years instead of requiring renewal every six months. Latvia’s prime minister also said France had agreed to begin discussions about Latvia joining a French nuclear deterrence initiative and to strengthen its military presence in the country. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiha, called the move unacceptable and said it would signal impunity and division to Moscow. He urged EU countries to impose their own national sanctions on the two businessmen; Latvia has said it will do so. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed the prospect of their removal, arguing that EU sanctions were illegal and that sanctions against all Russians should be lifted. Usmanov founded USM Holding, an investment group with interests in metals and telecommunications, and has had connections to Arsenal and Everton. The EU previously described him as a pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Vladimir Putin. Reports have linked France’s initiative to a possible prisoner-release deal with Azerbaijan. Fridman, founder of the Alfa Group conglomerate, has been described by the EU as a major Russian financier and enabler of Putin’s inner circle. He called for the war to end soon after the invasion but did not directly condemn Putin. The article also notes that Fridman’s business partner Pyotr Aven lost Latvia’s highest civilian honour in 2022 after failing to condemn the invasion.

The European Union has agreed to extend sanctions against about 3,000 Russian individuals, entities and companies for 36 months, until September 22, 2029. The deal, reached after lengthy negotiations ahead of a Wednesday deadline, also removes two prominent Russian oligarchs, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from the sanctions list. The longer extension replaces the previous six-month renewal cycle and is intended to prevent another near-term dispute among EU member states, whose unanimous approval is required. Ukraine condemned the delistings. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called them “shameful and unjustifiable,” while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said concessions to people around an aggressor do not bring wars to an end. Zelenskyy nevertheless thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for being willing to consider adding other Russian names to the list. Kyiv has urged EU countries to impose their own national sanctions on the two men. France sought Usmanov’s removal, citing national security concerns without providing details. AFP, citing diplomatic sources, reported that the request may have been connected to a possible deal to release French nationals held in Azerbaijan, whose government is close to Usmanov. Luxembourg sought Fridman’s exemption as he is suing the country for €15 billion over assets frozen under EU sanctions. The article describes both men as billionaires with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Usmanov, born in Uzbekistan, made his fortune in metals and telecommunications and owns USM and mobile operator MegaFon. Fridman founded and holds shares in Alfa Group, which includes Alfa Bank, and co-founded Luxembourg-based investment firm LetterOne. He left LetterOne’s board in 2022 after being targeted by EU sanctions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged European Union countries not to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc’s sanctions list. His appeal comes as EU ambassadors attempt to reach agreement on renewing individual sanctions, which are due to expire if no deal is reached by the end of Tuesday. Zelenskyy argued that sanctions should be renewed unconditionally until Moscow begins serious peace negotiations and takes concrete steps to end its war against Ukraine. He specifically thanked Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, whose government rejected a proposed compromise that would have extended sanctions for 36 months while removing Usmanov and Fridman from the blacklist. The potential delisting has become part of a wider diplomatic dispute. France has reportedly sought Usmanov’s removal in connection with efforts to secure a prisoner release involving Azerbaijan. Slovakia has advocated removing both oligarchs, while Luxembourg has said Fridman should also be removed if Usmanov is delisted. Fridman has filed a $16 billion claim against Luxembourg over frozen assets. Latvia and France remained opposed to each other during ambassadors’ discussions in Brussels, leaving the compromise unresolved. Zelenskyy’s intervention is unusual because the negotiations are confidential and concern internal EU decision-making. He made the statement while attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York and after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron. Zelenskyy linked the sanctions dispute to continuing Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians, including overnight and daytime drone and ballistic-missile strikes. Russia has supported removing sanctions not only from Usmanov and Fridman but from all Russian businesspeople and citizens. EU ambassadors were scheduled to reconvene later on Tuesday.

EU member states failed to reach a final agreement on Monday to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc’s sanctions blacklist. Diplomats said a provisional compromise had been reached to delist the two businessmen while extending sanctions against nearly 3,000 other individuals and entities linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, but Latvia reportedly lodged a last-minute objection. EU ambassadors were scheduled to resume negotiations in Brussels early Tuesday, before the sanctions renewal deadline. The dispute emerged after France and Slovakia supported removing Usmanov, a Russian-Uzbek metals tycoon, from the list. French officials cited national security concerns without providing public details. The Financial Times reported that France’s position could be connected to a possible prisoner-release agreement involving French nationals detained in Azerbaijan. Luxembourg subsequently argued that Fridman, who is suing the country for €15 billion over frozen assets, should also be delisted if Usmanov were removed. Poland and the Baltic states strongly opposed easing sanctions, arguing that pressure on Moscow should instead be increased. As part of the proposed compromise, they secured an agreement to extend the broader sanctions regime for three years rather than through the previous six-month renewals. Ukraine condemned the possible delistings. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said they would send the wrong signal to Moscow and called for sanctions to be tightened. Despite the disagreement over the two oligarchs, EU diplomats said there was broad support for preventing the sanctions from expiring. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described sanctions as a central instrument for depriving Moscow of funding and urged member states to maintain them for a longer period. The EU blacklist includes senior Russian officials such as President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Usmanov and Fridman were added after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine over allegations that their businesses generated significant revenue for the Kremlin.

The provided material contains a headline, byline, dateline and one opening sentence, rather than the full Washington Post article. In that limited excerpt, the European Union is reported to have lifted sanctions on two of Russia’s wealthiest men on Tuesday. One of them is billionaire Alisher Usmanov, whom the article says the bloc had previously described as “one of Vladimir Putin’s favorite oligarchs” when it imposed restrictions after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The headline frames France as pushing to end the sanctions on Usmanov, while the opening sentence states that the EU lifted sanctions; the excerpt does not explain France’s role, identify the second man, or give details about the decision or its consequences. The article is datelined Brussels and credited to Ellen Francis, Beatriz Ríos and Catherine Belton. The only visible non-article item is “Sign up ad,” which has been excluded from the clean text. Because the supplied text is so brief, it is not possible to provide a fuller account of the arguments, reactions, or context in the complete article without adding information that is not present. This summary therefore describes only what the excerpt explicitly reports and distinguishes the headline’s framing from the limited detail in the article text.